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The year in (short) Letters to the Editor

Mon, Dec 31, 2012, 00:00

January

Beethoven’s shopping note

Sir, – Tallis this, I’m a Schumann most of your readers Allegri that this Messiaen has gone Farrar enough. I refer, of Carse, to those letter-writers and their Palestrina dream-up puns that, by now, are, in Pärt, obviously Borodin from other letters, Scriabin the barrel and just pure Scheidt. I can’t Handel any Moore; in fact Arne I Orff to Haydn the Tavener for some decent Bartok and to Glinka Glass of Meyerbeer. Gluck. – Yours, etc, NIGEL MOONEY, Ballydonnell, Avoca, Co Wicklow. (January 28)

A chara, – 343. The last time I saw a mouth like that, there was a hook in it. – Is mise, BRIAN O’REILLY, Newtown, Naas, Co Kildare. (April 11)

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Fiscal crisis, what fiscal crisis?

Sir, – How can any of us understand the gravity of the Irish fiscal crisis while our politicians and top civil servants continue to take home extortionate wages? Obviously, if we can afford to still pay the top 17,000 public servants (who earn over €100,000 a year) a total amount of over €2.4 billion, the same amount that covers the bottom 150,000 who earn less that 20,000, there is no financial crisis. – Yours, etc, PAULINE BLEACH, Wolli Creek, New South Wales, Australia. (April 20)

Sir, – For a short while, Éamon Ó Cuív was the political equivalent of Schrödinger’s Cat – simultaneously in and out of Fianna Fáil. Well, the cat has been well and truly belled. – Yours, etc, PAUL DELANEY, Beacon Hill, Dalkey, Co Dublin. (May 10)

June

Mick Wallace and the VAT bill

Sir, – Which is the greater offence: to return false figures in your VAT returns to the Revenue Commissioners, which is illegal, or to destroy the economy of the State, which is not? – Yours, etc, HARRY KELLY, Westbourne Road, Terenure, Dublin 6W. (June 12)

Sir, – Anglo Irish “bank” has announced details of a tender for “the supply of confidential waste destruction services” (Business, July 7th). Despite this, a few days later, the gardaí­ said they were confident of securing a conviction in relation to the Anglo Irish matter. Life has started to imitate Ross. “Shred Focking Everything” (and the taxpayers pay for it). – Yours, etc, SEÁN MAC CANN, Trillick, Co Tyrone. (July 21)

August

Waste competition

Sir, – In the interest of competition in waste collection, the cul-de-sac (of 24 houses) where I live now has five refuse collection lorries visiting every week. Is this a record? – Yours, etc, CLARE WALSH, Elton Court, Leixlip, Co Kildare. (August 7)

A name for new Liffey bridge

Sir, – Surely there can now be only one name for the new Liffey bridge. The “Golden Kate Bridge”. – Yours, etc, BRENDAN KENNEDY, St Johns Wood, Clondalkin, Dublin 22. (August 11)

Sir, – Despite groundbreaking work by Bertie Ahern, I think Fianna Fáil should concede that the accolade for “most absurd sentence ever uttered by a politician in the line of duty” must now pass to Fine Gael and Dr James Reilly.

I am not sure if this is a sign of the continued, inexorable decline in Irish politics, or if it’s simply a logistical, logarithmic progression (Miriam Lord’s Dáil Sketch, October 4th). – Yours, etc, LARRY WALSH, Templeville Road, Templeogue, Dublin 6W. (October 9)

November

Changing face of ‘The Irish Times’

Sir, – I am delighted with the new format of The Irish Times. I can now read it in the bath without fear of damp corners. – Yours, etc, EMMET DALTON, Balkill Grove, Howth, Co Dublin. (November 7)